Improvement in telegraphing



f N. PARKS. f Telegraph.

. No. 33,098. Patented Aug. 20, 186i.

Ca er We a'lU-e.

N. PETERS. Phammhngmpner, wnm'mgmn, D a

`iuntrrraivinn ranas, on nonnnnw Yon-ir; i

IMPROVEMENT IN TELEGRAPHING.

To 'all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, NATnANInn PARKS, of Roule, inthe county of Oneida. and State of v New York, haveinvented an Im proved Method of Communicating by Means of Electric Telegraphy; and I hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description thereof, reference beingv had to the accompanying drawings, an'd to the let-ters ot'refercnce marked thereon.

My plan has forits object the overcoming of some, it' not all, of the causes that prevent the obtaining of an effective working-current at the extremity of an extended submarine, eubaqueous, or subterranean conductor, especially if at any point ef that conductor def fectivc or imperfect insulation exists. lThe theory haslieen generally adopted that wherever such defective insulationl exists the current is there dissipated or wasted, "beingr conducted away by the surreundin g water rlhis is not always the case. Following the making of the circuit at the battery or sending-station in the usnalniethod, and consequent thereupon, a secondary power through decomposition or chemical. action is generated at the before-mentioned point of imperfect insulation. This power makes use of the same conductor to reach the receiving-instrument, where, without provision against its effects, it obstructs the action of the armature, either embarrassing or preventing its response altogether. Itis not instantaneously generated, neither does itcease at the instant the circuit is broken at the battery; but, having a distincty circuit of its own around by the reeeiving-instrument, will operate the latter for a limited time after the main circuit is broken by simply breaking its particularcircuit at or near the instrument. The power will soon be exhausted 5 but by renewing the main circuit at the battery the power is renewed and the same difficulties occur as before.

The plan I have devised to remove the-se embarrassments, preventing the action of the armature of the recciviiig-instrument, isl the breaking` and restoring simultaneously or nearly so the circuit at the receiving-station with that at the sending or dispatching station.` The necessity of this will be evident when the fact is indicated that the new circuit,

which has been alluded to is without-the con- Specification yforming part of Letters Patent No. 33,098, dated August 20, 1861. i

or, indicates the object of my invention to be 4 that of providing such aconductor als shall constitute a-battery of itself, or an auxiliary one,in order to produce an augmentation of electricity suflicient `to operate the'instrument y through the action of the surrounding water, or the moisture contained inthe surrounding earth, upon the aforesaid conductor, and like- Wise te present a plan by which this or any imperectly-insulated cable is to be operated successfully.

In illustrating my invention I propose to ein ploy the electro-magnetic system of telegraph-V ing and the instrument known as FMorsesf with a local battery and a relay-magnet at each terminal station. v Y i rlhe accompanying drawings, which form part of this specification, represents three different modes of applying the inventiolneach representing a line of telegraph with-the in` strnments at the terminal stations, which, for the sake of illustration, l have marked respectively London and New York.77

In the several views the letters K denote the operating-keys; R M, the rela-y or receiving magnets; It, the register; L B, the local hat tery; and similar letters of reference denote in ail cases corresponding parts of the instruments and apparatus. l

'I will first proceed to describe the mode of application shown in Figure l. In this mode two conducting-wires arerused through the whole length of the line-viz., one, a, of copper, l(represented in red color in the draw1ngs,) and one, b, of brass lor other metal positive to copper, (represented in black)-both submerged in water or buried in the earth, except a sntti-` cient portion of each end of the line to make the connections with the instrument. Means must be taken to prevent thein from coming in contact throughout their entire length. The wire b, of positive metal,is connecteddirectly with the anvil C of leach key, and the copper wire with, each relay-magnet, which is nected with the key-lever, the register, and the local battery at the same station, in the man- -ner common to Morses telegraph. When the -key at one end of the lin'e is open the wires ot `and b become a battery, and a current-eteleothe armature d thereof, thus closing the local.` circuit, which attracts the armature c of the register-magnet and brings the pen or style F into contact with the .paper G. j

One method. ot telegraphing inthis form of conductor is simply as follows When no message is being sent in either direction bothkeys are closed, which stops the aforesaidlaction of the wiresnb' and'le'aves the local circuit at each end of the line open, and the styles F .out of contact with the paper, but as -soonas the operator at either end-London, for instancewishes to send a message he opens hisv key and at once converts the wires a b into' a battery, and causes a current to pass through the coil of the relay-magnet at the opposite end'- New York-'and brings into action` the local circuit there and causes the armature and' the register-magnet to be attracted.` and the pen or style' to be brought into contact with. the

paper, which isintended to be moved by c'lockwork, in the manner commonl to Morses telei graph. The message is produced by opening and closing the key, as in Morses telegraph,

' with the ordinary system of batteries, except ground very near, but not touching each other,

at each end ofthe line. 'Thecopper wire ais connected with the two relay-magnets, and the `positive wire with the two positive plates t z'.

"The, usual system of connections is made be'- tween the relay, the register, and the local battery at eachend of the line, and one extremity of the helix-wire ot each relay-magnet is connected by a copper wire,j, with the copper plate h at the same end of the line, and the copper plate is connected with the anvil c of the operating-key by a'copper wire, 7a. Each plate 't of positive metal is connected bya wire, C, of similar metal,-with the lever ot' the key at the same end of j the line., vWhenfthe key at one endl of the line isclosed and that onv the otheris open th e wires aand b become a battery,and the plates hz may beconsideredas portions ofthe same battery'as .the said wires, and a current of electricity is caused to pass along the p'ositive'wire b to the closed key, and.v thence through the said key along the copper wire u, through the helices ofthe correspondingrelay-magnets,and

again along the copper wire'thnrough'the helices of the relay at the other'end of the line,l along- Athe wire j to the plate h, whence itk passes through the water to the plate t and positive wire 11, thuscompleting its circuit. The c urrent thus produced, it will be seen, changes. both relay-magnets, and hence brings both local circuits into operation, and'attracts the armature of both register-magnets, and throws Vtheir pens or styles up against the paper G.

In this mode of applying my invention 'bpth keys are lel`t open'when no message is being sent, in which condition of the keys there is no battery-like action of the wires and plates; "and when it is desired to send a message from either end the closing ofthe key at both ends causes'the above-described batterylike action of the wires and plates to commence and the registers to be operated,and the message is sent by opening and closing the key.

sent thel opposite way by closingand opening the key at the other end. Thisanethod of operation admits of a copy being taken at the sending-station, as the instrument-s of both ends operate alike.

In the mod of application shown in Fig. 3` only one conducting-wire, W, of the-whole length of the line is used, and this should be of copper. rlhe saidlline is connected with the helices of the relay-magnets at the extremities ofn the line, andl each of said magnets is co'n nected in the usual manner with-the key-leven, the register, and the local battery at its end of the line., At each end? ofthe line there is a' p q, of similar metal,with the wooden-stands t t of the operating-keys at different points, so that either may be brought in connection with the anvil c of the key at its end of the line by means of a movable coupling or switch-piece, r, which is fitted to turn ona stationary pin, AS, secured in the stand T. When the-coupling-bars r r at the two ends of the line are adjusted to connect the copper Vplate m at one end, and the positive plate n at the other end. with their respective keys, as is shown in Fig. 3, and bothkeys are closed, a galvanic action is established between the connected positive plate andthe copper wire W and theplate m at the opposite end, and a current of electricity 4is caused to pass from the 'positive plate ythrough the key vandhelix of the relay-magnet n When.` the message iscompleted the key is left open, and the line is in condition for a message to beat its own end of the line along the wires W, to and through the helix of the relay-magnet, and through the key at the other end, and thence to the connected copper plate, completing its circuit to the connected positive plate through the water or earth. The current thus produced charges both relay-magnets and brings both local circuits into action and causes the pens or styles lot' both registers to make contact with the paper.

In the preceding method of applying my invention both copper plates are coupled with the keys, and both keys closed when no message is being sent, and in that condition of the parts there is no battery-like action but when a message is to be sent from one end of the line the operator at that end couples the positive plate with his kfey, and by opening and closing his key he operates the pens or styles of,the registers at both ends of the line. When his message has been completed he uncouples the positive and couples the copper plate and closes his key, so that his end of the line is in condition for receiving. This method of operation, like that illustrated in Fig. 2, admits of `a copy ot the message being taken at the sending-station.

Any of the before-described modes of applying my invention admits of intermediate stations, anrf at these stations the same operating apparatus will be employed as at the terminal stations.

To facilitate the laying of the conducting- Wires where two are employed the whole length ot' the line, and at the same time to prevent contact the one with the other, both may be bound together by a yarn or strand of cotton or any textile substance, so applied as to. interpose itself between them. Although this will become saturated with moisture when submerged orburied,this willnot prevent the combined galvanic action which is intended.

I have represented by Figs. 4 and 5 two methods of binding the wires together. VIn the first method a yarn or strand is first wound round one wire, then both are laid together and bound by a second yarn or strand wound London.

round the two. In the second method a yarn or strand is wound in the form of the iigure 8 around both wires.

Having, through diligent and persevering application discovered the cau se ofthe retardation, or, more properly, prolongation of signal, I have devised a method to counteract this, so as to permit the prompt release of the armature. The method alluded to is applicable to cables of the construction of the present Atlantic cable, aswell as those,herein described.

To operate according to this system requiresl instruments or apparatus that provide for simultaneous movement at both extremities of the line. Some of this class are already well known, so that a description is unnecessary.

- The mode of application will be as follows, assuming any two places, as New York and London, for the purpose of illustration, and supposing a cable laid with copper ground plates and connections. Now, let it be desired to send a message from London' to New York by the closing and opening of the circuit in the usual manner, the instruments should be so arranged that at the indication ot a letter in g-instrument should be-severed and resumed again immediately, and in time for the consec' utive letter which is to be transmitted from The same relatively will take place in the transmission of a message from New York to London--that is, at the instant a letter is manifested at London the connection existing between the magnet there and its groundplate must be cut off and restored in the revolution ot' the type-wheel, such being supposed to be used. Having fully explained my plan, I claim- The system of operatin g non-insulated or imperfectly-insulated cables or metallic conductors by such arrangement or modification of the receiving-instrument as will provide for the results indicated in the preceding specification.

[NATHANIEL PARKS. Witnesses:

N oAH EATON, F. S. WILCOX. 

